Melon Muskmelon/Cantaloupe Hearts of Gold Organic HEIRLOOM Seeds

Cucumis melo

Item #3012

80 days. Hearts of Gold is a high
quality heirloom that can be
grown in short season climates!
These very productive plants
produce fruit that is dark
orange, firm-fleshed and
aromatic. Round, 3 pound fruits up
to 6" in diameter.

This packet
sows 10 mounds.

Seedling Image

Days to Emerge:5-10 days

Seed Depth:1/2"

Seed Spacing:
3 seeds/mound

Mound Spacing:
4'-6' apart

Thinning:
When 3" tall thin to 1-2 plants per mound

When to sow outside: 1 to 2 weeks
after average last frost, and when soil
temperatures are at least 65°F.

When to start inside: Recommended
for cold climates. 4 to 6 weeks before
average last frost. Seedlings don't
transplant well-use paper or pulp pots
and transplant pots directly into soil after
gently removing the bottoms.

Harvesting: Harvesting at the right time
is very important with melons. Commercial
growers harvest before melons are ripe,
forcing them to ripen off the vine, but the
last few days of ripening on the vine put a
lot of sugars into the melon. Consequently,
melons taste significantly better when vine
ripened. How do you know when melons
are ripe? Use these indicators: 1) The color
between the surface netting is brown, not
green. 2) A ripe melon will have a pleasant,
fruity aroma at the blossom end. 3) A crack
will form on the stem right near the point
of attachment. This is called the "slip stage,"
and in a few days, the melon will detach
from the vine with little effort and pressure. If it is somewhat difficult to detach the fruit from the
vine, the melon is not ready yet. Do not allow to
over?ripen.